


Sigh of the Unicorn

by queien



Category: Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny
Genre: Blood Play, Brother/Brother Incest, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Skullfucking mention, bad bdsm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 17:05:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6619060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queien/pseuds/queien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Julian, ending an extended break on his favorite game, invites Caine to play with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sigh of the Unicorn

“It's almost strange going to the dungeons without intending to walk the pattern,” Caine remarked as he and his brother descended the steps to the dungeons. “And I'm not sure if I should be honored that you chose to break your fast with me or be offended that you never asked me to play with you before you quit your game.”

“To be fair,” Julian said, “I'd only had time to play it with a handful of siblings before Corwin bested me.”

“Yes, but I am the most attractive of us by far,” Caine said. “I would've thought you would make me your first choice.”

“Most attractive since Eric's death,” Julian muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” 

“Nothing,” Julian replied. He led Caine down the dimly lit halls, lined with cell doors behind which wasted away Amber's worst criminals. He stopped before one different from the rest. It had no bars through which to peek and no slot at the bottom for food to be passed through. All it had was a keyhole and a knob.

Julian produced a key and used it to unlock the door. “You're the first person I've brought down here in a long time,” he said. “Keep that in mind as we play.” He grabbed a torch off the wall and pushed open the door. 

The torchlight glimmered off of the polished stone walls of this surprisingly large room. Julian strode across the floor, strewn with fresh straw, and set the torch into a sconce in the wall, to the right of which hung manacles made of a shiny, dark metal.

Caine swept a finger across a table to his left that was piled high with flogs, cat 'o nine tails, riding crops, and whips, and then examined his finger for any foreign particles. “I'm surprised at how clean it is in here,” he remarked when he found none. “I thought you hadn't been down here in ages.”

“Just because I haven't been down here with anyone doesn't mean I haven't been down here for other reasons,” Julian said. He began to remove his white, scaled armor. “Close the door, will you?”

Caine obliged and saw that, behind the door, stood a set of drawers, on top of which were several butt plugs and a large dildo that was spiraled in such a way that it resembled a unicorn's horn. 

Caine cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. “I see,” he commented, gaze lingering on the array of toys. 

“There are more in the drawers if you don't like what's out,” Julian said. 

“Noted,” Caine replied, still staring at the selection. “By the way,” he added, “what are the rules to this game of yours?” 

“You win if you manage to make me say my safe word,” he said. He had removed his armor and his shirt and piled these things neatly in one corner. “And I win if you are unable to do so in an hour's time.”

“And your safe word is...?”

Julian hesitated. “Unicorn,” he answered.

Caine snorted. “Really?”

“Is there something wrong with it?” 

“Yes,” Caine said. “I was hoping to make you scream out to the unicorn in a mixture of pain and pleasure. I'm not sure how I feel about you holding that back from me.”

“What would you suggest instead?”

“Well, if there's one word that can make any of us go flaccid instantly, it would definitely be 'Oberon.'”

Julian shook his head. “'Unicorn' has been my safe word all this time. I'm not about to change it now.”

“Fine,” Caine said. “Anything else I should know before we start?”

“Yes,” Julian said. “There are the following limitations: no permanent damage, no marks that I can't hide or easily explain away, no gags or inserting anything into my mouth-”

“Why would I even do that if I have to make you say something to win?” Caine interrupted.

“Some people have been less interested in winning than others,” Julian replied with a grimace. “And the last rule,” he continued, “is inspired by Corwin's win: absolutely nothing that would leave any sort of mark on my face, no matter how impermanent.”

“Alright, I agree to all of those conditions. But I've been meaning to ask,” Caine said. “How did Corwin manage to best you all those years ago?”

Julian scowled and crossed his arms over his bare chest. He was silent for so long that Caine nearly thought that his brother wasn't going to answer. Then, he spoke. “He took my eye,” Julian said stiffly. 

“Did he?” Caine frowned. “I suppose that would explain your suggestion to Eric, and how you knew that they would eventually grow back. But how did no one notice yours was missing?”

“Well, thankfully, Corwin didn't tell anyone. I assume he kept this secret so that only he would know how to secure a win against me. And as for how you didn't know, I kept to myself for quite some time after that under the guise of sulking over my loss, and when I returned, I was in the possession of a very realistic glass eye that I'd fetched from shadow, and even then I still made myself scarce in the hopes no one would notice. Now,” Julian flipped over an hour glass, and the sand began its slow trickle downward, “are you going to start or are words the only thing you wish to exchange with me tonight?”

“Right, of course,” Caine said. He picked up a length of coiled rope from a collection of its peers and then glanced up at a ring that was attached to a chain that hung down from the ceiling.

“Yes, that can support my weight, in case you were wondering,” Julian said before Caine could ask. “That's what it's for.”

Caine smirked. “Perfect.” Caine bound Julian's arms behind his back, and Julian stood there, expression stoic and almost indifferent to the rough rope that was slowly stealing away his freedom. “So what did he use to remove your eye?” Caine asked as his hands skillfully knotted the rope.

“And here I thought it would be obvious,” Julian said. “But if you need it spelled out more clearly for you, it was from nothing in this room. And to my knowledge, the tool is also not currently in the castle.” 

“What?”

“He keeps it on his person,” Julian said.

“Grayswandir?”

“It's a little more attached to him than that.”

Caine furrowed his brow, thinking as he worked. Then everything clicked. “Ah,” he said. He bound the rope across Julian's chest. “Skullfucking's pretty twisted, even for one of us.”

“Not really,” Julian said. 

“Right. I'm sure you've seen everyone's darkest sides from your position,” Caine commented. He looped the rope through the ring that hung from the ceiling and then finished tying it off. 

“You'd be amazed what you can learn by playing this game from my role,” Julian remarked. “Care to try sometime?”

“I'll pass,” Caine said as he fetched more rope. “I'm no masochist.”

“I don't do this because I'm a masochist,” Julian said.

Caine chuckled and shook his head. “I'm sure,” he commented under his breath. He undid Julian's pants and yanked them from his brother's body. Julian grimaced. 

“What? Don't act like you weren't expecting this,” Caine said.

“That's not it,” Julian said. “The problem was that I was expecting this much from you.”

“Then stop looking so disappointed,” Caine said. He fetched a second length of rope and bound Julian's legs together, keeping them separated shoulder's width apart by lashing them to a metal rod. He then looped the rope through the ring and pulled. Julian's legs were pulled off of the ground, and he fell forward with a grunt, his weight distributed between the ropes across his chest and the ones that tied his legs.

Caine raised Julian's legs until his brother hung in a perfectly straight line, and then he tied off the rope. 

The bindings tight across Julian's chest strained with each breath he took, and his arms were already starting to darken from lack of bloodflow.

“I'd ask how you're holding up, but I already know you've had worse,” Caine said. Julian was silent. Caine strode over to the table where the variety of lashes lay and picked up a riding crop, one that looked like it would even make the mighty Morgenstern flinch. He snapped it through the air a few times, allowing Julian a preview of what he had in store for him. “I wish you'd given me more time to prepare for this,” he said as he returned to his brother's side. “I almost feel like I have to improvise everything.”

“I may invite you to a rematch, depending on your performance,” Julian said.

Caine smirked and ran the riding crop up Julian's bare thigh. The flesh flinched away from the leathery caress, anticipating a blow. “I certainly wouldn't decline your offer if you were to extend it,” Caine said. He snapped the riding crop away from Julian's thigh and then thwacked it back. A tiny sound of pain escaped Julian's lips. 

Caine laughed. “Already?”

“I'm allowed to make sounds,” Julian said. He flinched and gritted his teeth as Caine struck him again. “I just can't say my safe word. And one or two flicks of that thing won't make me yield.”

“I'll have to try harder, then,” Caine replied. He bent the head of the riding crop back with one finger and then let go, and the pressure contained was released in a sharp smack on Julian's low back.

Julian's whole body jerked in response, and Caine chuckled.

“I wasn't expecting you to be the gentlest of us, Caine,” Julian remarked through clenched teeth. “You're proud of one little startled cry, but by now, almost any other brother could have me screaming.”

Caine frowned and let the riding crop fall to the floor. “I suppose I'll have to try harder, then.” He drew the emerald-studded dagger he wore at his hip. 

Wrapping his left arm around Julian's firm ass to help keep him still, Caine used his right hand to carve into his brother's back with the point of his blade.

Julian writhed and cried out. Caine tightened his grip around him. “Stop moving so much,” he said in a warning tone. “You'll ruin it.” Julian's movements became less frantic, and his sounds muffled. 

Caine finished his handiwork as quickly as he could, sheathed his dagger after cleaning the blood from it by wiping it against uncut flesh of the inside of his brother's thigh, and then stepped away toward the drawers filled with toys, allowing the residual momentum from Julian's struggles to leave him swinging and twirling in the air. 

Caine searched through the drawers and quickly found what he was looking for. He slipped the item into his pocket, turned back to face Julian, and smiled. “Are you trembling?”

“Shut up.” A pause and then, “what sort of mark did you leave?”

Caine returned to Julian's side and began to untie his legs. Once Julian's feet were lowered to the ground, he knelt and continued releasing the knots. “Nothing much,” Caine answered. The bar keeping Julian's legs parted fell to the ground, its sound muffled by the straw. He removed the last of the ropes binding his legs, exposing deep, red marks, and then stood. 

“Just tell me.” Julian seemed a little unsteady on his feet. It was a good thing, then, that he was still supported by the ropes binding his chest and arms.

Caine smirked. “All I did was write my name,” he answered. “And then an apostrophe and an S.” He undid his own pants and pushed them down to his knees. “And then I finished it with an arrow pointing down.”

Julian rolled his eyes, unamused. Caine pulled the lube he had acquired from the sex toy collection and applied it liberally to his erection.

“The only thing I'm surprised by is that you didn't start with this,” Julian said. 

“Patience, patience. I was going to get around to it eventually.” Caine hoisted his brother's legs up so they rested against his shoulders. “I just didn't want to disappoint you too much, since you seemed to be expecting a bit of pain first.” He gripped his brother's hips, and using gravity to his advantage, Caine slowly eased past the ring of constricted muscle and into his brother's body.

Julian threw his head back, teeth digging into his lower lip as a groan built up in his throat. 

Caine leaned forward to kiss the neck that Julian had exposed for him, and he felt the membrane wrapped around his length contract around him. He started to move in short thrusts, and his brother let out a hiss that slowly transformed into a long moan. Julian's head rolled forward, and more of his long dark hair cascaded down his chest. Caine picked up the pace, thrusting in and out of Julian deeply, and his brother's moan turned into staccato grunts. 

Although Julian didn't appear to be actively into what Caine was doing to him, Caine noticed that his brother was strangely relaxed, and his constant criticism had stopped. Glancing down, Caine saw that Julian was stiff and throbbing. He grinned. “You know, I think I like you better like this,” Caine commented. 

“Like what?” Julian asked between grunts.

“Placated,” Caine answered. “These sounds you're making are also much more enjoyable than your constant nagging.”

“Shut up,” Julian said through clenched teeth. He seemed to make an attempt at silencing his sounds. When he was unable to, he growled. “Damn it.” 

Caine chuckled. “Don't worry. You don't need to hide it. I've already seen how much you're enjoying this.” He stopped his thrusting and shifted so that he could grasp Julian's erection, and Julian shivered and bit his lip. Caine released his grip and resumed his thrusting. 

Julian's teeth sunk deeper into the flesh of his lip as he continued to fight to keep back any sounds of pleasure. He was mostly successful; however, his entire body quivered from his efforts. With his brother's mind focused elsewhere, Caine increased his thrusts, pleasure rising inside him, and when it burst, he sheathed himself deep inside Julian's body. Once the pleasure subsided, he slid himself free from Julian's body and lowered Julian's legs back to the floor. Cleaning himself on his brother's discarded trousers, Caine strode over to where the hourglass stood on its shelf. Their time together was already over halfway finished.

Caine pulled his pants back up before leaning against the wall and admiring his brother's muscular body. His heaving breath strained the tight ropes that were bound across his skin, and his erection quivered expectantly. 

Julian slowly raised his head. “Don't tell me you're not going to finish me, Caine,” he growled.

Caine smirked. “Now, why would I do that?” he asked, his tone playfully innocent.

“Bastard,” Julian snarled.

“Now now, careful with that word,” Caine said. “It would imply some things about you as well, us being full brothers and all.” 

Caine chuckled as Julian fumed. “What do you want?” Julian snapped.

“Hm?”

“In exchange for finishing me.”

“I'd like you to say your safe word and give me a win.”

“Fuck you!”

“That's not your safe word.”

Julian's muscles bulged as he fought to break the ropes, and they threatened to give way to his efforts. Caine tsked him. “I know it's not against the rules as you said them, but breaking out and finishing yourself would be against the spirit of the game, wouldn't it?” 

Julian stopped his struggles and glared. 

“You've given me complete control over you until the sand runs out. Or, that's what I understand of it,” Caine continued. “Otherwise, what's to stop you from breaking free and lashing out at a sibling who harmed you in a way that you disproved of?”

Julian's scowl deepened.

“I take it I'm right. In that case, you'll just have to wait until the sand runs out before you can finish.” Caine glanced at the hourglass. “I'd say that gives you a good twenty minutes. But I'll be happy to finish you after the hourglass is empty. Or, well, if you were to say your safe word, I'd gladly give you a hand right now.”

“You'll have to try harder than that, Caine,” Julian said. “I've been doing this long enough that I know exactly what my turnoffs are.” He closed his eyes, and it was Caine's turn to frown.

“I guess I have no choice, then,” Caine said. He strode over to Julian and ran his fingers across his length. 

Julian's eyes snapped open. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

“I'm not about to let you win this little battle of wills,” Caine said. He kept his touches light and teasing. 

Julian made the most adorable sounds as he struggled to keep any sign of him enjoying it secret. He eventually gave in with a moan and rested his head against Caine's shoulder. “You're still not going to let me finish, are you?” he panted.

“Of course not,” Caine said. “If I do that, then I'll have nothing to use against you and you'll win.”

Caine wasn't sure if Julian's next sound was in pleasure or annoyance. 

Caine chuckled. “Well, if you do one thing for me, I'll willingly cave and finish you,” Cain said.

“What?” Julian said. “And I'm not saying my safe word.” 

“Of course not,” Caine said. “Instead, I want to see the proud Julian properly humbled for once.” He ran the tips of his fingers across the head of Julian's shaft, and his brother groaned and thrust into his palm. Caine pulled his hand away. “I want you to beg for it.”

“I have been begging,” Julian said.

“No, you've been demanding,” Caine said. “I want you to beg properly.”

There was a long pause, and then Julian nuzzled his face against Caine's shoulder. “Please,” he said. 

“More,” Caine prompted

“Please let me finish.”

“Almost there,” Caine said. 

“What more do you want?” He lifted his head to glare at Caine and jerked back when he realized how close his brother's face was to his own.

Caine closed the distance and kissed him, and Julian was reluctant at first but eventually returned it, tongue slipping past Caine's lips. When Caine pulled away, Julian leaned in for more expectantly. Caine was tempted to let him have it. “And here I thought you didn't like things around your mouth,” Caine commented.

“I'll make exceptions as needed,” Julian said.

“Noted,” Caine said. He knelt before his brother and took him into his mouth. Julian hissed in air through his teeth and then let it out again in a moan. Caine chuckled in amusement. He let his tongue wander across all the areas he knew to be sensitive on those he had done this one before and waited for auditory feedback from his brother as to which spots worked and which spots didn't. He made a point to memorize these sensitive areas for potential future use and then proceeded to tease his tongue over them until Julian's legs shook. 

But it was over faster than Caine would have liked, and he waited for Julian to finish in his mouth before turning his head and spitting into the straw. He then stood and began using one of his daggers to cut his brother down.

“The time ran out,” Julian said. “You lost.” Caine cut him free from the ring, and Julian staggered forward as he suddenly had to support his own weight again.

“Yet I still feel I won something,” Caine said. He grabbed Julian and began to saw at the ropes that bound Julian's arms and chest. While he worked, he noted that the marks he had carved into his brother's flesh had already scabbed over and begun to heal. It didn't take an Amberite long. 

Once all bindings had been removed, raw red marks remained, and Julian's arms, dark from the lack of blood flow but slowly lightening with freedom, hung uselessly at his sides.

Julian looked down at his arms and grimaced. He then glanced back up at Caine. “By the way, if you were actually trying to make me slip up and use the Unicorn's name in pleasure, know that others have tried before you and failed.”

“Yes, but were they as good as me?” Caine asked.

Julian's cheeks reddened, and he said nothing.

Caine smirked. “Does that mean I earned a rematch?”

Julian shook his head. “I'm honestly too impatient to wait for a rematch,” Julian said. He leaned against a wall and then carefully slid down it so he could rest on the floor. “Are you free tonight after dinner?”

Caine chuckled. “Yes,” he said. “My bed wouldn't mind the extra company.”

“Not your bed,” Julian snapped. “You have a single mattress. There's no room for two grown men.” He paused and then added in a softer tone, “my bed is larger.”

“After dinner in your room it is,” Caine said. “I'll leave you here to recover in peace.” Caine turned and hesitated a moment. When Julian didn't protest, he left the cell.

Heading back the way he had been led through the dungeon halls, a smile crept across Caine's face. He had lost Julian's game, yes, but tonight would mark a personal victory. After all, Julian's was the only bed in the castle he had yet to have sex in.


End file.
